The Bridal Wreath; The Mistress of Husaby; The Cross
by Sigrid Undset
Recommended by Emily VanDerWerff
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Recommended by 1 source and appears in Historical Fiction and Fiction.
"The finest historical novel our 20th century has yet produced; indeed it dwarfs most of the fiction of any kind that Europe has produced in the last twenty years." Contemporary Movements in European Literature, edited by William Rose and J. Isaacs"As a novel it must be ranked with the greatest the world knows today." Montreal Star"Sigrid Unds...
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Why recommended
Recommended by 1 source and appears in Historical Fiction and Fiction.
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Emily VanDerWerff
“Holy hell, the way time passes in this book, like it's slipping through the characters' fingers! Undset darts among all of their perspectives so deftly too. I am about halfway done, and this might end up one of my favorite books.”
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Consider The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Recommended by 5 sources.
“This sprawling, detail-rich historical novel follows cathedral builders, nobles, and townspeople across decades, delivering immersive scene-setting and a steady accumulation of plotlines. Its useful part is the sustained attention to craft—architecture, politics, rivalry—that makes the medieval world tangible. The main limitation is repetitive melodrama and swings in pacing: long, satisfying set pieces sit beside stretches that feel slow or contrived. Better read slowly rather than skimmed; readers who stick it out will find payoff in the concluding convergences.”
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.
